CALGARY- Emergency crews who come to the rescue are equipped with an arsenal of safety gear to protect themselves, including a full suit, helmet and visor; but one Calgary firefighter feels there is one area lacking in protection – his hands.
Three years ago, Randy Schmitz approached Whitemore and Hobbs, a Calgary company who develops rescue equipment, with a unique idea for a safety glove.
Schmitz wanted to create a heat resistant, slash resistant and crush protecting glove, something that would protect the hands of rescue workers from shards of glass and jagged metal.
"It was a matter of trial and error,” says Dan Hobbs, co-creator of the glove.
“We went through about six generations of gloves and minor changes here and changes of material."
As a result, the ‘V x 2 extrication glove’ was born.
Also known as ‘Schmitz Mitts’, the gloves have a lining that protect the wearer from chemicals, blood or any other fluid commonly found at the scene of an accident.
The mitts have gained worldwide attention; sanitation companies, glass cutters and handlers and policing agencies have started using "Schmitz Mitts". The Columbian military has also put out a tender for 25-thousand pairs.
Best of all? The gloves are machine washable.
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